UNSC needs reform to maintain global peace - Eritrean President

(EBC; August 8, 2018) - Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki has stated that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) needs an amount of meaningful reform to perform its underlining tasks of maintaining global peace.

The president underlined “the need for meaningful structural reform of UNSC to ensure fulfillment of tasks of maintenance of international peace and security entrusted to it,” according to Yemane Gebremeskel, Eritrean Information Minister.

The president was addressing a Japanese delegation that called on him on Tuesday in Asmara. Japan is hoping to secure Eritrean backing for a non-permanent seat on the UNSC. It is not known whether Eritrea agreed to back Japan on that issue.

The delegation added its voice to the recent Ethiopia - Eritrea peace agreement that ended some two decades of hostilities between the two neighbors.

Eritrea continues to push for the lifting of what it says are unjustified arms sanctions imposed on it by the UNSC.

Ethiopia and Somalia have formally asked that the sanctions be lifted.